Dragon Hunter [Sasuke x OC]

CH 4

Ch 4

‘…and then I met you’

XOXOXOX

It was more than ten years ago, when Sasuke was still the emperor of the land. He had everything that a man ever wanted; title, land, power and love. “Sakura…” he called out to his wife, the empress. She smiled at him as he entered their room. He kissed her lovingly, as if the whole day was long enough for him of not seeing her.

“I’m sorry…” he whispered as he rested his head on her shoulder. “What for?” she asked. “For being busy… for not being with you this morning…” he said then pressing kisses on her shoulder. Sakura ran her fingers along his dark hair, with a soft smile on her face. “I understand… once I agreed to marry you, I’m marrying to this land” she said. That was what Sasuke loved the most about her; she knew his responsibility. And that made him feeling more saddened.

“And yet… the war is coming…” he said, sounding almost a sigh. He eyed her solemnly but she replied with her warm smile. “I’m sorry that this war is inevitable” he said. “I know, Sasuke-kun…” she replied, calmly.

As the threat was coming closer, Sasuke desperately wanted to protect everything he ever had. He thought of the impossible. “I want power…” he said. The wizard peeked on him under his hood. “I want to get stronger… I want immortality!” stated Sasuke in one breath. He was determined. And his wish was granted.

For three days and three nights, he was away from his kingdom, seeking the impossible. Then he returned, as a different man. “I can feel it, the power within me” he said, smiling satisfactorily. “You’re more powerful and death is less of your concern, my lord” said the wizard. Sasuke returned to his kingdom with the new found power. But he had forgotten one taboo that had been told by the wizard because a man that is in great power often forgot his true self. 

XOXOX

Sasuke grunted as he opened his eyes. He was in the darkness. Slowly, he tried to get up while his eyes adjusted to the dark. “Arghh…!” he groaned. Pain surged throughout his body as if all the bones inside of him were crushed. “Where am I?” he muttered. He was on the ground, in the middle of a thick forest. The royal robe he wore was torn here and there.

Confused, Sasuke returned to the palace. It took him a full day to return. “Your highness!” shouted a servant at the sight of him. Sasuke was hungry, hurt and confused. And yet, he was greeted with another bad news. “My lady, she—“ then the servant fell on his knee, sobbing. “What’s wrong?! What happened to Sakura?” he asked. Without waiting for the servant’s reply, he rushed to the main palace. 

“…!” Sasuke was terrified at what he saw. And he feared the worse. “What happened here?!” he asked anyone that was there. They all looked at him in sadness. The main palace was a ruined. His room was badly damaged. The roof collapsed. Among the debris, he caught a glimpse of Sakura’s clothes. There, she lay lifeless. 

“It was a dragon, your highness!” said one of them. Sasuke felt enraged. He had lost his love to such a creature. And the war is on the brink. “Find the dragon’s lair! And kill it!”. In great sorrow, Sasuke gave order to everyone across the land, to kill the dragon that had killed his wife. All men and women, peasants or hunters, were looking for the dragon.

The war broke lose eventually, starting at the edge of the land. And Sasuke was hitting his low; he had no interest in the war. “Your highness! The enemy is approaching fast! They’ve made their way to the third division!” said the commander. “Get out!” yelled Sasuke instead. Losing the land was nothing compared to losing his wife.

That one fateful night, Sasuke felt uneasy and slightly feverish. He hid himself in the room all day, ignoring the plea from his commander for him to take the lead in the war. “My lord!” yelled the man from outside of the room. Sasuke was enraged; he threw everything that was on the reading table. “Go away!” he shouted angrily. Then a terrible pain seeped across his left body, so terrible that he wailed. 

“Arghhh…!” Sasuke grunted, fell on his knees. He raised his trembling hands only to see his skin changing color. “What is… happening to me?!” he hissed. The pain come and goes and he could not breathe properly. With difficulties, Sasuke went to the mirror and he was terribly shocked. Left half of him was no longer human. He gasped. His skin had turned scaly and his left eye was golden. 

“My lord!” the commander called out to him again. Sasuke was afraid of himself and afraid for them to see him like that. Hearing no answer, the commander called out to him again. “Do not enter!” shouted Sasuke, then fall to his knees again. He felt his body heated up so suddenly and he growled out in pain. His head was pounding and sudden rushed of images filled his mind. Sasuke was panting at the cruel realization. He screamed at the painful truth. He was the dragon that had killed Sakura.

The commander heard the feral roar; he barged in against Sasuke’s order. And he met eyes to eyes with the fire-breathing creature. The emperor was nowhere to be found.

XOXOX

A rustle woke Sasuke up. He opened his eyes and saw Amisa still sleeping, cuddling to him. Eyeing the sleeping lady, he had a train of thought going on in his mind. He wrapped her in his arm and kissed her head. Amisa murmured something inaudible because of the movement, it made Sasuke smiled. “Amisa…” he called her name. “I’m… scared…” he continued as he shut his eyes.

“Why?” muttered Amisa. Sasuke was surprised at her question. “You’re awake?” he asked. Amisa rubbed her eyes slightly. “Hmm… you’re so loud, yes…” she replied. Then she leaned on her elbow, looking at Sasuke. “So, why are you scared?” she asked. Sasuke sighed. “Nothing” he simply answered. Amisa pouted at his answer. “There you go… I guess, last night was nothing either, to you…” she tried to push her luck.

Sasuke turned to her again. She did manage to push some button though. “Last night was… a mere lust” he said, blatantly. Amisa gaped for seconds. “Well, I knew that I wasn’t your first…” she replied while tidying her hair a bit. Her words somehow bit into Sasuke’s core but he ignored her. As he was about to left the chamber, Amisa stopped him again. “So, you really aren’t human anymore? I guess the humanity in you just die…” she said.

They stayed silent for some moment. Then Sasuke looked at her, locking his gaze into her dark eyes. “You’re right” he exhaled. Amisa gave him a questioning look. “I’m not a human in the inside. Humans hurt me, they wanted to get rid of me” he said and inhaling deeply. “I thought I’ll never be human again or feel human…”. Then with a slight smile, he continued “…and then I met you”.

To be continued...